Phlox: replanting and care in autumn, pruning, winter shelter, timing

Phlox is a vibrant plant with flowers in a variety of colors. They are naturally low-maintenance plants, but with proper care in the fall How well the gardener overwinters and adheres to wintering rules determines how lush the flower crown will be next season. Phlox overwintering varies depending on the latitude where it grows. Maintaining the plant's health over the winter in the temperate zone is less problematic, while gardeners in the Urals may face some difficulties. How to ensure phlox care in the fall after flowering and whether they need to be covered for the winter, the answers to these questions depend on the location of growth.

Autumn events for gardeners

Autumn is no less a busy season for gardeners than spring. It takes hard work to keep all the plants in the garden healthy and free from frost. Caring for phlox in autumn includes:

1. If autumn is dry, the bushes need to be watered regularly at a rate of 2 buckets per 1 square meter of planting. Water in cloudy weather, in the evening, avoiding contact with the stems and leaves. It's best to use a watering can with a long spout; excess moisture will cause the bush to rot.
2. To ensure abundant flowering next summer, phlox need to be fertilized in the fall. Use a phosphate-potassium fertilizer. Before applying the fertilizer, water the soil thoroughly; the plant's roots are sensitive, so applying fertilizer to dry soil is unacceptable.
3. To prevent damage to the crop by pests, it is necessary to add a little ash under the bush.
4. Before covering phlox, the soil must be thoroughly loosened. Gardeners should remember that the roots are on the surface, so proceed with caution.
5. Mulching the soil will help preserve phlox over winter. This is essential because the plant's roots are located on the surface and often emerge from the soil. Even in central Russia, soil freezing occurs without snow cover, which is detrimental to the plant. Peat, compost, and manure can be used as mulch.
6. Phloxes need to be cut back for the winter to avoid disease lesions and pests. Gardeners recommend leaving a stump of 2 to 20 cm long. Pruning is carried out one month after flowering.

The rules described are general recommendations to ensure the safety of the perennial plant, its health and lush flowering in the following season.

Is it possible to plant phlox in the fall?

Phlox is an easy-to-replant plant that can be repotted not only in spring and summer, but also in fall. If you provide proper care after transplanting, the plant will tolerate the process well. Some gardeners, on the contrary, recommend waiting until fall to plant during hot weather. This way, the plant will tolerate the process better and bloom fully the following season. Those repotted in spring often get sick during the summer and then experience poor growth. Repotting in summer should only be done if necessary.

Transplanted phlox should be prepared for winter in the fall in the same way as established plants. Mulch the soil, and avoid fertilizing if replanted, as chemicals can damage the root system.

In regions with early frosts, early varieties are recommended. They finish flowering early, allowing for successful transplanting. If transplanting in the fall is not possible, it's best to replant in the spring.

Timing for planting phlox in autumn

You can plant the plant in the fall before the cold weather sets in and night frosts set in. It's best to replant 1-2 weeks after flowering—during this time, the plant's stems accumulate the necessary nutrients. Before plant phlox It is pruned. This is necessary for better rooting. Large shoots are cut back, leaving no more than 20 cm; if the plant is young, no more than 5 cm remains. Mulching the soil is necessary because the roots are not adapted to winter cold and quickly die after freezing.

Selecting planting material

It's best to transplant large cuttings in the fall, as they tolerate frost better and root well. Flowers grown in the summer from spring cuttings should also be transplanted. The cutting being planted should have at least two stems; these are trimmed back to stumps up to 20 cm tall, with buds at the base.

It's best to dig up the plant without damaging the root ball. This will ensure its adaptation to the new conditions is as easy as possible. For such plants, remove the crown with the inflorescence, leaving 4-8 healthy leaves for nutrition.

How to choose a landing site

A couple of weeks before repotting, prepare the soil. Clear it of grass and debris. If the soil is clayey, add some sand. Phlox thrives in fertile loamy soil. If it's too sandy, add some black soil or clay.

After the soil composition has been normalized, lime, ash, and fertilizer are added. The soil layer is dug to a sufficient depth—at least 30 cm—because the plant's root system actively grows downward in the first few years after planting.

For planting, prepare a hole of adequate width and depth. The roots should fit comfortably in it.

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Preparing phlox for winter

https://youtu.be/r5uF0oQfit4

Like other perennials, phlox lose their foliage after the onset of cold weather and die back until spring. To prevent the entire shrub from rotting, gardeners should remember to prune it in the fall. The process of preparing for winter depends on the variety, so pruning phlox after flowering should be done in August-September.

How to properly prepare phlox for winter depends on the growing region and the plant variety itself. Old types of phlox Accustomed to harsh winters, they can survive cold and snowless winters even without shelter, but there is a risk of losing some seedlings. New varieties are not adapted to growing in cold conditions because they were bred in greenhouses or in regions with mild climates.

What are the specifics of preparing plants for winter in different regions?

The importance and necessity of constructing substantial covering structures depends on the plant's growing conditions. In regions with mild climates, covering, on the contrary, can be harmful to the plant. Excessive heat can cause it to wake up early and damage young shoots during frosts. This circumstance necessitates a tailored approach to covering phlox for the winter. Depending on the region, recommendations are as follows:

1. In temperate climates, such as those found in the Moscow region, the climate isn't particularly harsh, so phlox overwinter well after pruning shoots to a depth of 2-5 cm. To prevent root freezing, mulching is recommended.
2. For the Volga region, the recommendations change; pruning is carried out according to the same scheme, but it is recommended to cover the mulch with tops or branches.
3. In the Urals, phlox should be trimmed, leaving a stump of about 8-10 cm. Mulch should be applied with tops and branches, and during the winter, it is important to insulate the plant with snow.
4. Caring for phlox in winter in Siberia is difficult. Because of the harsh winters, the plants are not pruned, but mulched and insulated with branches and leaves.

Pruning phlox in autumn

Opinions among gardeners vary regarding fall pruning. Some believe pruning will help them survive the winter, while others say it's a real stress factor before the cold weather sets in. There's no misconception here. Phlox can be pruned in the central and Volga regions, but it's not recommended in Siberia and the Urals before winter. In this case, pruning should be done in the spring; exposed to sunlight, the phlox will quickly grow and form a lush bush.

Why do we prune in autumn?

The main goals when pruning a plant:

• prevention of fungal infections in the next season;
• When pruning the stem, pests parasitizing on the green part of the plant are removed;
• ensuring the transfer of nutrients to the root system after flowering;
• After pruning, it is easier to apply mulch and fertilize.

Phloxes are pruned for the winter to obtain a lush bush during the season.

How to prune phlox

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Pruning phlox for winter is carried out according to one of 3 schemes:

1. The above-ground portion of the plant is removed at a height of up to 2 centimeters above ground level. This prevents damage from pests that have accumulated on the crop during the growing season.
2. The stems are removed, leaving branches up to 10 cm long. This promotes the formation of a large bush in the spring from young buds.
3. After pruning, stems up to 20 cm long are left. This method has a significant drawback: pathogens remain on the plant stems, and phlox pruned using this method is difficult to mulch.

Scheme 1 is acceptable. Experience shows that phlox pruned according to Scheme 2 develop poorly and bloom less profusely, while Scheme 3 is prone to fungal and bacterial damage.

When do you prune for winter?

Pruning time depends on the variety being grown. Early-flowering phlox is pruned in early September, while late-flowering plants are pruned in October, a few weeks after the flowers have completely faded.

What to do after pruning

Simply pruning a plant is not enough for the action to be beneficial; the crop needs to be provided with the necessary care, namely:

• The waste remaining after pruning is burned away from the garden plot or disposed of in another convenient way;
• the soil around the plant is treated with fungicides before mulching;
• Before covering the plant, a few days before, it is fed by adding superphosphate under each bush.

It is better to replant phlox after flowering, because planting in the spring will not allow the plant to gain strength for the summer.

Fertilization

Before fertilizing, treat the soil and phlox with products such as Fitosporin or Fundazol. Apply these products to the above-ground portion of the plant and water the soil on a dry, moderately sunny day. These treatments will help reduce the risk of fungal and bacterial infections. Treatments are performed in spring or fall.

No sooner than two weeks later, add superphosphate to the soil. This fertilizer will saturate the soil with phosphorus and potassium, which will then reach the roots throughout the winter, increasing their survival rate.

When purchasing ready-made fertilizers for flowering outdoor crops, it's best to choose a formula labeled "Fall." Using formulas with higher levels of these components can trigger rapid growth before winter, which can lead to the plant's death.

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Mulching the soil

Mulch protects the rhizomes from freezing and also helps supply them with essential nutrients. Autumn care includes preparing the phlox for winter and pruning it. After this, the soil is mulched. Compost, humus, or manure are used.

Mulch is applied to phloxes over four years old, regardless of growing conditions. The root system of these plants develops rapidly and often becomes exposed, and severe frost damages the rhizome.

Watering phlox in autumn

If there's no rain in the fall, phlox need additional watering, as adequate moisture is essential for a full winter. Watering should be done carefully, as the plant's root system is vulnerable and often attacked by various bacteria and fungi. It's best to water phlox with room-temperature water, avoiding moisture on the leaves and stems, as this can cause rot.

Disease prevention and pest control for phlox

The following rules will help maintain the health of the plant:

• regular loosening of the soil in spring and autumn;
• transplanting a flower to a new location once every 3-4 years;
• removing weeds and fallen leaves from the front garden is a source of fungal and bacterial infections;
• soil treatment with peroxide;
• use of fungicides.

The rules listed will help preserve the collection.

Shelter for the winter

Phlox is a frost-hardy plant that can survive a mild winter without any protection. However, since even mild winters have periods of cold, it's not worth risking your magnificent collection of plants. Temperatures as low as -15°C (-15°F) pose a threat to the above-ground portions, and as low as -20°C (-4°F) for the underground portions. The plant is not only vulnerable to severe frosts but also to prolonged thaws, which can lead to loss of the snow cover.

Natural materials are used for covering. Avoid using film, linoleum, or other materials for this purpose, as they will suffocate the plant. The covering is removed after the risk of severe frost has passed in the spring.

Common mistakes in caring for phloxes in autumn and when preparing for winter: how to care for them correctly

The list of major errors includes:

1. Using nitrogen fertilizers in the fall. A high dose of this component accelerates the formation of new shoots and enhances their growth, while the roots lose nutrients and weaken. Because of this, the plant often dies during the winter.
2. The plant was "sealed" for winter too early. If warming is still possible, there's no need to insulate the crop.
3. The perennial is covered with thick cellophane, fabric, or airtight materials. Eventually, the plant dies due to rot.

Such mistakes must be avoided, because they often lead to the destruction of culture.

Helpful tips for caring for phlox after winter

After spring, phlox often look unattractive. To restore this appearance after longer daylight hours and warmer nighttime temperatures, fertilize the plant. This will accelerate growth and restore the root system. It's essential to remove dead shoots and other parts. If the condition is critical, consider using growth stimulants such as Epin or Zircon. This biological composition will help awaken dormant buds and accelerate their growth.

In conclusion

Phlox is a beautiful, common plant that isn't particularly demanding in terms of growing conditions. Providing simple conditions will result in lush and rewarding blooms. To preserve this perennial plant for the following year, proper overwintering is essential; otherwise, the plant will freeze and be lost. Classic phlox tolerate light frosts, while their Dutch counterparts are more demanding in terms of overwintering. If this isn't possible, the rhizomes can be stored in a cool container and replanted annually in the spring.